Improvement in endless-rope railways



A; E. How-f.

v ENDLEss ROPE nA-ILWAYS. V No.184,624. Patented Nov.lz1,1a7e.

' 'UNITEn STATES g PATENT OFFICE.

ASA E. HOvEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNrA, ASSIGNOR To THE SUTTER y STREET RAILROAD COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ENDLESS-ROPE RAILWAYS.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,624. dated November 21, 1876; application tiled September 22, 1576.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ASA E. HOVEY, of the city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, have invented anlmproved Device for Operating the Depression-Pulleys in Endless-Rope Traction-Railways, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to a means or device for supporting and operatin g the depressionpulleys used in traction-railways to sustain the upward pull of the endless rope in the f change of level-of the `/road from a horizontal to an incline, whereby the pulley is automatically thrown out of the path of the rope-gripe as the dummy is drawn along by the rope, and is afterward brought into position over the rope as soon as the gripe is clear of the pulley-frame.

It consists in the construction and arrangement of a vibrating pulley frame or bracket within the rope-chamber, held in suitable bearingsand operated in one direction by the pressure of the gripe against curved wings projecting from the sides of the frame, and in the other ldirection by the reaction of rubber springs, as will be more fully described and shown hereinafter.

The following description is sufficiently full and clear to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to construct and apply the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

Figure lis a side view, looking upon the frame of the rope-chamber and the pulleybracket within it. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

A A represent the brackets that support the rails a c, the two parts forming together the shell or frame-work of the rope-chamber. The rails a, when in position, have a Space between them of the proper width to allow the bar or frame of the rope-griping device to pass along without rubbing the groove and the bracketsareof such form that they may be securely boarded up at the sides and top to form a continuous chamber or tunnel. Within this chamber, at or near the apex of the angle formed by a change in the road from a horizontal to an incline,l is situated the depression-pulleyB, to sustain the upward strain or thrust of the cable. This pulley B is supported and operated by the frame or bracket O in such a manner that when the bar of the gripe approaches the pulley-frameand strikes its wings or flanges c c, the pulley is thrown laterally away from the cable and out of the path of the gripe. box, b, for the axis of the pulley B, and two arms extending from thence radially, with collars -upon them to receive the rod d. The frame and this rod are Secured together, and the ends of the rod project at each side to form pivots for the frame. They work in sockets in the blocks D D, that are fastened on the sills placed on the bottom of the road-bed, whereby the pulley-frame vibrates upon these pivots as a center. At each side of the frame C are fixed two projecting curved wings or anges, c c, that extend beyond the frame a proper distance to meet the bar of the gripe before it approaches the frame and pulley.

When the pulley is in position over the ca- The frame C has a journalble the ends of these wings c c are immediately in the path of the gripe-bar, so that the pressure of the bar, as the dummy advances, throws the frame B and its pulley over to one side, clear of the cable and thegri pe, and holds the pulley in this position until the gripe has passed. The reaction of ythe pulley-frame G is produced by the sprin gs E E, situated between the frame and a lixed lug or bearing, e e, on the blocks D D. When the frame Gis moved laterally away from the cable by the gripebar these springs are compressed between the fixed surfaces e e and the sides of the frame, and after the bar has passed the pulley they react to throw the pulleyinto its normal position over the cable. The movement of the frame G- in the direction opposite to that produced by the action of the griper-bar is governed by the fixed bar F, that acts as a stop to keep 1the pulley from being thrown beyond the line of the rope or cable.

The pulley-frame is also provided with two or more friction-rollers, f, situated below the pulley and in line .with the path of the rope. They are hung in loose bearings, and are employed to keep the rope from rubbing against the-parts ot' the frame below; the pulley when from any cause the rope becomes slack and drops down out of contact with the pulley.'

,Asi thus constructed and arranged my invention operates tohold the depression-pulley inendless-cable traction-railways in such manner that it is thrown automatically out of the path of the gripe as the dummy approaches the incline, and is afterward moved again into position over the cable after the dummy and gripe is clear of theframe, and beforethe cable can rise above the face of the pulley.

The distance between the top of the road and the rollers Yof `the griping device is al# ways xed and invariable, and is somewhat greater than the distance between the top of the groove-rails a a and the cable at the point where it is held downby the pulley B, sothat the gripe basa downward pressure `orlthrnst `'upon the cable as it passes along at this part ofthe road. This construction has the effect to release the pulley from the thrustor strain ot' the cable and allow it to swing freely to one side as the gripe-bar strikes the frame C.

Having thusfully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-l 1. VThe vibrating pulley frame or bracket C, "witlitsjournal-box b, the pivots d, and the curved projecting wings or surfaces c c, when combined with thesprings `E E, for returning ,the pulley toits position over the cable `after the gripe has passed, `and the stop-bar F, for

controlling the movement of the pulley-frame, `all arranged and` operating together as and` for the purpose set forth. y

2. In combination withthe vibratingpulley-` frame `for'endless'rope traction-railways, iconistructedfas hereinabove described, the rollers ff, arranged and applied as and for the purpose set forth and specified.

In testimony that `I claim itbelforeg'oingl have `hereunto set my handl this 5th :day of September, 1876. l i

ASA `EBENEZER HOVEYJ Witnesses: l

WILLIAM HARNEY, EDWARD E; OsBoRNE. 

